Envelope opener



Dec. 14, 1948. E. c. ME'rzGl-:R 2,456,436

' ENvELoPEMoPENER' l I Filed May 11. 1945 o 22 Zmmcmeger 'fm @LA 5gg Patented Dec. 14, 1948 -aUfNyI TEED S EFJATfE-S PATE. NT OfFFiC E ENVELOPE ORENER .EdmundIULMetzger-,LChicagm Ill.

Application May 11, 1945,Serial No. 593,127

(CLEO- 294) A .1.2 Claims 1 ".IThis inventiorrrelatesttozimprovementsfinacom- .binedxpencilzf'sharpenerrandfenvelopezopener,and

one io'ffthe :objects: isrto .provide an;-,improved::sim

:ple and eicient :device 'auf .this "character, lwhich .rmayibez'readily carried inttherpocket unemployed :asaideslctooleand whichrembodies'facuttingiblade that: is: used zasrbothtthegzpencil: sharpeningimeans andthemeansfforiseveringeanfedgezofransenvelope :to -.open .the .lattergthe v'cutting ledge 1 of `the blade being protected sonas notztoucausezany:injury :A :ffurther s obj ect tof nth'einvention 'liss-tolpromde 1an kimproved fdeviee oof this Lcharacter, iin which 1a l:razor r.blade nmay ybe .-enrplnyedfasthe :cutting means, and n in -.which-"device imeans eare falsoprovided .wherebyrthecutting portion of the blade may be adjusted to accommodate envelopes of different sizes vv'and thicknessearand to vary the area. in whichtthe .envelopeisto .bef-.cut.

A further object of theinventionListo provide an improved device of this character,A in which the edge of theenvelope tofbefcuttvvill` be drawn across the cutting area of the bladerin an inclinedposi- :tion with respect to such edge,.thereby facilitating fthe operation of the device.

A still'further objectof the .inventionfisitoyprorvide improved means for clamping thezbl-adeaand .varying .the curvature thereof to accommodate envelopes of dilerent'ssizes.

.To `therattainment of theseaends, andithaaccomplishment of other newand.usefu1:objectszas will appear, the invention consistsin thei-.features of novelty-in substantially the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts, hereinafter m'ore fully 'descibe'd'and claimed, and

shown in the accompanyin'gzdrawings illustrating lthe invention, in which Fig. l is an end view of a device of this character, constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig 3 is an end view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the reverse end of the device.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on line 4 4, Fig. 2, showing the blade in position before it is compressed.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the Sharpener body, taken on line 5-5 Figure -2 with parts omitted.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure, showing the blade in convex position, but with the winged clamping nut removed.

Fig, '7 isa side elevation of the winged clamping nut.

Fig. 8 is an end elevation of the clamping nut.

2 '.Figf9 is-a detailv'sectional viewofzan envelope,

ishowingthe way it4 is cutor ropeneclby ,this-:.device.

This invention provides means for lutilizing fnew .and used razor zblades in afcombinedfpencil Sharpener and envelope opener, by .curvingthe blade .toggive it strengthiandzrigidity, and tal-so yto varyathe curvature Vto accommodate envelopes of different sizes 'and thicknesses, and "at zthe same itime'to'providefa sharpening edge for a pencil receiving andfguiding fbore.

vReferring now I'more Yparticularly'to the .drawings, va l`holder body 2i) 'of metal, :plasticorany 'Suitable material which unay be generallytfrec- 'tangular .in lform and .only slight-ly larger than `the lbody an'ufat one edge .of the convex surface 2|,iforxning a Iguideewav'ior receivingithe endao'f 'a pencil.

.A blade i124 is V*dispo'sedfon .the :convextopnsurfaceZl, and hasopposite cuttingedges whi'ch 1 overlap @the envelope r guide-ways 22 andl the' upper edge of the bore .23"for engagement'withenvelopes and pencils insertedtherein. .A'clamping 'platei isfapplie'd overftheabladafandhas alower concave surface conformingsto" the upperconvex surface 22| Iso that I by compressing the looking '.plate, the -.blade may L'be i curvedfmore 1 or less, and y 'locked 1in. a, x'fixed "convex position. This locking plate" has acentral apertura-121 f and .inclined cam opposite ends of the aperture 21, and longitudinally of the plate, are aperture extensions 29, the aperture and extensions registering, generally, with openings in the blade 24.

A central bore is provided in the body, having a conical recess 3| at the lower or under side, in which are seated a stem 32 having an upper portion 33 of reduced size, and a conical nut 34 secured to a lower threaded end 35 of the stem. This stem projects upwardly through the -blade and through the locking plate 26, the reduced portion 33 extending above the inclined cam surfaces 28 and having a collar 36 secured to the upper end of the stem, as by a cross pin 31.

Mounted on the reduced portion of the stem is a winged nut 38 having opposite inclined engaging surfaces 39 at its lower edges for engaging the inclined cams 28. This Winged nut is substantially fiat, so that when moved longitudinally of the locking plate 26, it will pass with the stem through the aperture 27 and the aperture extensions 28 of the locking plate, to permit the insertion and removal of a blade and the locking plate, without removing the winged nut.

An envelope 40 to be opened, is inserted in one of the angular guide-ways 22, and is moved to the bottom of the guide-way and drawn lengthwise thereto, in contact with one of the cutting edges 25 of the blade, the blade producing a slit 4l at one side of the edge of the envelope, as shown more clearly in Fig. 9, without coming in contact with or damaging a sheet 42 or other material contained in the envelope. The curvature of the blade may be adjusted toward or from the bottom of the envelope receiving'guideways 22 by relieving the pressure on the winged nut 38, thereby allowing the edge of the blade to be raised, as indicated in the broken outline in Fig. "6. With this adjustment, the envelope opener may be varied to accommodate. envelopes of different sizes and thicknesses, and envelopes having. more or less contents. The angular guide-'ways `22 may be varied somewhat with respect to the cutting edges 25 of the blade, so that they will accommodate envelopes of different sizes and thicknesses.

In this construction, it is; apparent that the cutting blade is given additional strength and v` rigidity by curving it transversely, and locking it firmly against a flat or curved supporting surface. The curvature of the blade may be varied to vary the contact of the blade with an envelope to-be opened or with a pencil to be sharpened. Theidevice is compact and easily operated and adjusted, the edges of the blade being protected at 'all vtirnes so that the device may be safely carried'in a pocket orany place desired, without danger of injury. When the blade becomes dull,

`it is a vsimple matter to remove it and insert another one.

While the .preferred form of the invention has beenherein shown and described, it is to 'be understood that various changes may be made in the Jdetails ofconstruction and in the combination and .arrangement of theseveral parts,

withinV the scope of the claims, without departing fromthe spirit of this invention.

:What is claimed as new is:

' 1. A device of the class described comprising a substantially rectangular body having upstanding longitudinal edge portions, a blade supporting area between said edge portions having the upper surface thereof transversely convex, the upper surface of said area being below said edge portions, a `longitudinal channel at each side of said blade supporting area connecting said area with said edge portions, a blade adjustably mounted on said area and having the longitudinal cutting edge portions thereof extending into said channels, and an envelope guideway in each of said edge portions located diagonally with respect to said edge portions and intersecting the adjacent channel at one end thereof, said guideways also disposed angularly with respect to said channels so that a side of each ofsaid guideways tapers downwardly from the upper side of the edge portion in which it is located, whereby to properly guide an envelope being drawn through a guideway, and means to adjust the position of the cutting edges of said blade in said channels to compensate for envelopes of different thicknesses.

2. A device of the class described comprising a substantially rectangular body having upstanding longitudinal edge portions, a blade supporting area between said edge portions having the upper surface 4thereoftransversely convex, said edge portions extending lupwardly' beyond said blade supporting area, a blade `removably mounted on said area having a longitudinal cutting edge parallel'to andadjacent vone of the upstanding edgea'an envelope guideway located diagonally through'one of said upstanding edge portions and extending through one end of said body, the bottom of said guideway being below the surface of said blade supporting area, and one of the faces of said guidewayr tapering downwardly and inwardly from the top of the edge portion toward said ,blade supporting area, whereby to properly guide an envelope through said guideway.

' EDMUND C. METZGER.

mEFERENCEs C1Tnn- The followingirefrerences lare of record in the file ,9i ,this patent:`

UNITED-STATES PATENTS Number Name A Date 1,402,351Y Harte Jan.- 3, 1922 1,405,210 Harte 1 Jan. 31, 1922 1,479,921 f j' Muier' Jan. 9, 1924 1,719,714 Miller-L July 2, 1929 1,740,018 Jensen Dec. 17, 1929 1,943,193 Stephany et al. Jan. 9, 1934 2,233,497 Teigen Mar. 4, 1941 2,266,963 y Hatch Dee. 23, 1941 2,282,062 VJewett May. 5, 1942 2,291,294 HOlSte' July 28, 1942 .FOREIGN PATENTS Number v"Country l Date 205,569 switzerland sept. 16, 1939 

